World of Darkness
by Stuffulkins
Summary: When Galeem attacked, all of the fighters present perished except for one; however, there were other survivors—those who chose to stay behind in case something went wrong—the ones they would have come home to. They have gathered to find Spirits and maybe, just maybe, take down Galeem. Or maybe Kirby is their only hope after all, but they must try.
1. Sunset or Sunrise?

_When Galeem invaded, all the Fighters present perished; however, there were others—those who chose to stay behind in case something went wrong—the ones they could come home to. Here we have gathered to find spirits and maybe, just maybe, take down Galeem. Though, some others, including my female counterpart, have also gone missing. It seems as if while Galeem cannot find us, his powers still permeate this world. Every day is a battle for us—knowing any of us could fall at any moment, but we_ _ **must**_ _try._

 _Dark Samus—The Phazon Echo of Samus_

 _Yoshi—…A Yoshi_

 _Luigi—To be honest, he's kind of useless._

 _Ness—A boy gifted with great powers_

 _Jigglypuff—A singing puffball with a positive attitude_

 _Peach—Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom_

 _Daisy—Princess of Sarasaland, and Peach's Echo_

 _Sheik—The apparent leader of our group_

 _Nana and Popo a.k.a. The Ice Climbers_

 _Pichu—The go-getting pre-evolution of Pikachu_

 _Young Link—One of two incarnations of Link traveling with us; Mature for his age._

 _Dr. Mario—He's Mario, but a War Monk as we call them_

 _Roy—A hero of Elibe and brave warrior_

 _Meta Knight—A skilled swordsman and rival of sorts to Kirby_

 _Wario—Mario's rival; he's very stubborn and very gross_

 _Ike—The Radiant Hero of Legend, wielder of Ragnell, and supposed ancestor of Priam_

 _Leaf—A female Pokémon trainer from Kanto; Her team is the same as Red's but have different colors._

 _Lucas—Another boy from Ness's homeworld who shares similar powers_

 _Olimar—A spaceman who travels and cares for flower creatures called Pikmin_

 _Alph—A fellow Pikmin explorer; not sure what category to put him in_

 _Toon Link—The other Link traveling with us; enthusiastic and cheerful; Hero of the Winds_

 _R.O.B.—A "Robotic Operating Buddy"; Surprisingly kind._

 _Wolf—Captain of Star Wolf; basically a "dark" Star Fox from what I've heard_

 _Wii Fit Trainer (Male)—He's just like his female counterpart, but masculine_

 _Miis—Human-like beings who live for the fight with fists, swords, and guns_

 _Little Mac—The boxing type_

 _Chrom—Exalt of Ylisse, wielder of Falchion, and a great hero_

 _Lucina—Chrom's daughter, heroine of Ylisse, and my wife_

 _Robin—Me; Male tactician hero of Ylisse_

 _Bowser Jr. & the Koopalings—All-around mischief makers and Bowser's top goons; I do not trust them._

 _Cloud—Member of an elite fighting force; lonesome at first, but he's since made many friends in Smash_

 _Corrins—Prince and Princess of three far-off kingdoms; Have dragon's blood; be careful around Falchion._

 _Ridley—Arch-enemy of Samus Aran; possibly the most wicked one out of everyone here_

 _Ken—Ryu's Echo fighter;_ _ **Very**_ _competitive_

 _Richter—Member of the Belmont clan and Simon's Echo Fighter; Surprisingly friendly and outgoing_

 _Incineroar— Grandiose fiery pro-wrestler from the Alola region; Loves to be as loud as possible_

— _(Male) Robin_

* * *

 _Things have been mostly going pretty well, bar a few priority-related scuffles and some trust issues, but I have no reason to believe with the powers we all share, we won't find at least someone: a few of us have already found companion spirits. I hear there's an entire city just beyond the horizon—we're bound to find more there!_

"So, who exactly do you think we'll find here? I hope we find Kirby soon, and Pikachu," Jigglypuff bewailed.

"It's not like you're the only one who has lost close friends, Jigglypuff," Sheik delivered coldly, cueing Jigglypuff's attention to Young Link, who bore a visible look of distress on his face. In fact, most of the remaining fighters struggled to not show their anxiety.

"What about you Sheik?"

Sheik turned away giving Jigglypuff a stern "Hmph!"

Peach leaned over to Jigglypuff, reassuring her that Sheik cared about them too, just appearing cold and focused on the mission. Olimar offered them some lunch. Afterward, the entire group continued until R.O.B. stopped abruptly, started sparking, and his joints started turning at unnatural angles.

Pichu, not knowing R.O.B for too long prior, asked, "Um guys, is that normal?" Everyone backed away, forming an empty circle around R.O.B. As they stood guard, a giant beam of light came from behind. Everyone jumped out of the way, but R.O.B., couldn't even move. As he was vaporized, the impact created an explosion, which knocked everyone to their feet. After the dust settled, Chrom rose up. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah," Popo & Nana said simultaneously breathing heavily.

Everyone dusted themselves off and began walking again toward the World of Light; that is until Bowser Jr. inexplicably collapsed. Chrom ran over toward him, again asking if he was fine.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's okay; I'll be with my dad soon, right?"

Chrom shook Bowser's son rapidly. "No! You have to stay with us! That's not how it works. They all watched as Bowser Jr. closed his eyes and faded away. Only Peach and Daisy hid their faces, not sure whether to show their relative luck or outright depressed. Wario, on the other hand, appeared to show no remorse at all.

"Hah! Big deal! What'll losing two more do to us? We're strong!" The rest of the group gave him a death glare. In response, Wario just dug through his pockets and snacked on some of his garlic reserves while marching onward.

Roy felt a pain in his chest and said softly, "Chrom." He too began to fade.

Chrom moved to caress him, but he couldn't do anything. In a panic, Incineroar pulled at him off of where Roy had been. Chrom fought back at Incineroar, trying to escape the Pokémon's grasp. He stretched the arm which carried his brand out to Roy right before he vanished completely—screaming out his name. It was only after this, Incineroar let go. Chrom got down on his knees.

"Roy, how could this happen? What kind of sick game are you playing at Galeem? WHAT KIND?" Chrom put such force into his lament that one could see the sweat and tears streaming down his face. Richter patted Chrom on his armored shoulder, trying to cheer him up.

"Hey Chrom, if you're worried about you vanishing right now, no need to fret. We're still here. Now take my hand." Richter helped Chrom up. The subsequent sight that shocked them most was Jigglypuff crying with Pichu trying to console her.

Luigi threw himself upon Richter's side crying, hugging him. "Richter, I'm scaaaaared!"

"There there. You'll be alright too, I'll make sure of it," Richter said patting Luigi's head.

"R-really?"

"Of course, for I am Richter Belmont!" Richter exclaimed striking a pose. "Now let's move!" Sheik appeared in front of them, informing them that Mr. Game & Watch and Alph had also disappeared.

Cloud started humming to comfort himself. His tune attracted Jigglypuff's attention. "Um, Mr. Strife, how many of us do you think will actually make it?"

"I'm not sure. Guess we'll just have to hope for the best while preparing for the worst. Here, I can carry you if you want."

"Thanks, Cloud."

Before Jigglypuff could hop into Cloud's arms, another voice rang out: "Everyone, stop." Little Mac yelled just loudly enough to where everyone could no doubt hear him. Wario had fallen behind and him and Daisy were trying to drag him."

"Get off of me; I'm fine!" Wario growled in anger taking short, rapid breaths as he began to dissipate.

"We _just_ took a moment to rest," said Meta Knight.

"I can try to help you," Dr. Mario offered.

"I said I don't need your help!"

Pichu began to repeat to itself, "There's just one more—just one more. This has to be the last one!"

Luigi approached him. "Wario, you're, um…"

"No! I'm stronger than that!" He broke free of Daisy and Little Mac's grasp, standing up for a while before collapsing again, vaporizing upon impact; his last words being, "You hear that Galeem? I'm coming for you!"—those of defiance.

They then turned to Wolf, also growling, covering the parts of him that were fading. "Grr. Argh. Don't look at me!" Wolf turned on his reflector further trying to hide his wounds but to no avail. The forcefield disappeared as soon as he did.

Pichu screamed in sorrow. "I can't take this anymore! Why do all of my friends have to disappear?"

Then, Jigglypuff's voice: "Pichu, I don't feel...right." Everyone huddled around her. "I don't wanna go!"

Cloud fulfilled his promise to hold her; "It's going to be alright, Jigglypuff. We will find a way to rescue you. Remember: you're not alone."

Ike kneeled down before a lost Pichu, simply telling the devastated Pokémon, "It's not your fault."

"Just don't tell the others," Jigglypuff said sobbing before vanishing in Cloud's arms. He cried a few tears then moved forward, as everyone else did soon after.


	2. Keeping Spirits Up

_Yesterday—A few more fighters perished. Was this the fate of the others? Most likely. Will the rest of us escape the same fate? We can only hope._

 _Dark Samus—The Phazon Echo of Samus_

 _Yoshi—…A Yoshi_

 _Luigi—To be honest, he's kind of useless._

 _Ness—A boy gifted with great powers_

 _Peach—Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom_

 _Daisy—Princess of Sarasaland, and Peach's Echo_

 _Sheik—The apparent leader of our group and member of the Sheikah_

 _Nana and Popo a.k.a. The Ice Climbers_

 _Pichu—The go-getting pre-evolution of Pikachu_

 _Young Link—One of two incarnations of Link traveling with us; Mature for his age._

 _Dr. Mario—He's Mario, but a War Monk as we call them_

 _Meta Knight—A skilled swordsman and rival of sorts to Kirby_

 _Ike—The Radiant Hero of Legend, wielder of Ragnell, and supposed ancestor of Priam_

 _Leaf—A female Pokémon trainer from Kanto; Her team is the same as Red's but have different colors._

 _Lucas—Another boy from Ness's home world who shares similar powers_

 _Olimar—A spaceman who travels and cares for flower creatures called Pikmin_

 _Toon Link—The other Link traveling with us; enthusiastic and cheerful; Hero of the Winds_

 _Wii Fit Trainer (Male)—He's just like his female counterpart, but masculine_

 _Miis—Human-like beings who live for the fight with fists, swords, and guns_

 _Little Mac—The boxing type_

* * *

"Hey Robin."

"Oh! Um, Pac-Man! I can't believe I forgot about you.

"You did?"

"You're just usually so quiet, I hardly noticed you."

"Oh, uh, I'll try to speak up more. Carry on."

"Thanks. Ahem!

* * *

 _Pac-Man—A um, Pac-man who loves power pellets and fruit; quiet, yet jolly_

 _Chrom—Exalt of Ylisse, wielder of Falchion, and a great hero_

 _Lucina—Chrom's daughter, heroine of Ylisse, and my wife_

 _Robin—Me; Male tactician hero of Ylisse_

 _The Koopalings—All-around mischief makers and Bowser's top goons; I do not trust them._

 _Corrins—Prince and Princess of three far-off kingdoms; Have dragon's blood; be careful around Falchion._

 _Cloud—Member of an elite fighting force; lonesome at first, but he's since made many friends in Smash_

 _Ridley—Arch-enemy of Samus Aran; possibly the most wicked one out of everyone here_

 _Ken—Ryu's Echo fighter;_ _ **Very**_ _competitive_

 _Richter—Member of the Belmont clan and Simon's Echo Fighter; Surprisingly friendly and outgoing_

 _Incineroar— Grandiose fiery pro-wrestler from the Alola region; Loves to be as loud as possible_

 _Roy was the most devastating for me, yet we all know that we all must stay strong. After all…_

— _(Male) Robin_

* * *

"We've made it," Lucina proclaimed filled with hope.

"Are you sure it's not dangerous for us to spend a lot of time in one place?" Pac-Man asked nervously.

Sheik once again took command of the conversation. "At this point, what else do we have to do? We might as well find some spirits or fighters while we can."

"Is Sheik _always_ like this?" Richter asked Robin.

"Pretty much—out of necessity she says."

Upon hearing this, Sheik proceeded to throw a kunai at Robin. He barely dodged.

"Oh, and I forgot. Sheik doesn't like it when someone uses pronouns directed at her."

"I heard that!" Sheik then threw another kunai at them.

"Yikes! What is your problem?"

"A Sheikah must guard their secrets with their life. Now pick a building and get inside."

The city itself was a pretty large place, but nothing the thirty or so of the group couldn't feel to empty in. There were all sorts of strange and colorful buildings of all shapes and sizes ranging from one-story to massive skyscrapers. A keep guarded them from the west and north, with two openings they could escape into if enemies were to strike.

Most of the other Smashers went off to explore or looking for others, leaving Sheik, Robin, Luigi, Cloud, and Peach—the last two of whom Robin had specifically requested to come with him. "Why us?" Peach asked.

"You two said that you had already found spirits. Correct?"

"Yes," said Cloud.

"Well I think I can find a way to hone their skills. C'mon; let's find a place we can use as a gym. Sheik, tell everyone to meet me at the place we find as soon as they can."

"Right."

Robin left the room, with Peach and Cloud following him.

"Um, is there anything I can do?" Luigi asked.

"Sure. Why not scout the area for donuts or something?"

"Okay," Luigi mumbled.

"Alright, show me what you've got."

Peach and Cloud each pulled out a Core from their pockets—summoning the spirits of Aisya and Alucard respectively.

"I am Aisya."

"And I am Alucard—turncoat son of Dracula."

Robin gave Cloud a suspicious look.

"Okay…Now, let us begin."

* * *

 _Just by watching those two, our fate looks promising. Imagine the strength we'd have if we each befriended a spirit. I'll just have to wait and see what the future holds!_

* * *

Within the next couple of days, everyone had returned. After their breakfasts, they met Robin, Peach, and Cloud in the "Spirits Dojo".

"Alright everyone, starting today, we will take turns handing out spirits for everyone to train with. Don't worry, we have enough for everybody. For instance; everyone, this is Professor Hector, this is Tatsu, and that is a Shy Guy." Everyone waved. "Now keep in mind that this is only a tiny fraction of all the spirits out there, but with the ones we have, hopefully, that task will be at least the slightest bit easier."

Robin gave out some of the spirits the group had found. They spent most of the day training; a few even decided to venture out of the city with their spirit companions in search of other Smashers and spirits, though never too far. This mostly stopped after word spread of an incident in which Young Link got into a fight with Yoshi over which way to go and who should be saved first.

* * *

 _The past few days have been going great. I feel like we really might pull this off, well except for one guy._

* * *

One afternoon during training, Robin beckoned Luigi personally. "I noticed your spirit has a noticeably lower level than all the others—again; you went through, like five. Care to explain?"

"Don't say it like that! I'm trying!" Luigi shrieked as he was quivering in his boots.

"Look, I know you don't like spirits, but we _all_ have to get behind the program and you're not doing so hot."

Luigi burst into tears. "I-I'm sorry Robin! I just can't do it! I know you keep saying these ones are different than the spooky kind, but my mind just can't differentiate the two; they're too much alike for me!" Luigi shoved his face into Robin's cloak, crying. Robin nudged Luigi off of him and even wiped away one of his tears.

"Look, I knew this would happen. Lucina, Daisy, and I talked about it; and I think we might have found a spirit that works for you. Try this one."

A little girl with short green hair in a mage's outfit carrying a red tome materialized. In a high-pitched cheery voice, she approached Luigi and introduced herself; "Hi! My name is Nino! What's yours?"

Luigi's face turned red and he tried his best not to turn away.

Robin explained further; "This is Nino; she's only a support spirt, but I want you to hang out with her for a while, then we can ease you into feeling comfortable with a primary spirit. So, how's it going?"

"My instincts are kicking in and my palms are tense, but I know she doesn't want to hurt me."

"It's okay. Just try shaking her hand. Say something to her."

"Like this!" Nino held out her hand.

Luigi took a deep breath, reminding himself once more that Nino wasn't a "spooky spirit", and surprised everyone by lifting Nino up and hugging her.

Nino exclaimed in sheer delight. "Yay! We're friends now!"

"Y-yes, friends—you and I," Luigi stuttered as he set Nino down and she hugged him back.

Robin laughed. "Ha. Ha! I knew we'd get it right one day. Hey guys, that reminds me; I have a new strategy I'd like to plan out. I'll see you in a few."

"Bye!" They both said in unison.

The following day Robin returned to check on them on his way from introducing himself to some more new spirits. "Wow, I'm impressed. This is one of the fastest growth rates I've ever seen!"

Nino nodded. "Mm-hm. Not only do we train, but when I told him about myself Luigi volunteered to read to me, and I feel stronger and smarter already! I can't wait to go on an adventure with all you guys!"

"Well, I think we might head for new ground soon to see if we can find even more spirits and maybe even some fighters actually, so best you keep going and encourage everyone else to do the same."


	3. Lament of Innocence

_It's been a while since we've seen any wandering spirits. The last several expeditions have come up empty, and still no fighters. We've decided to leave today after training. Of course, there is a_ _ **lot**_ _of disagreement over where we should go next._

— _(Male) Robin_

* * *

"*Sigh* All of this arguing is making my heart hurt," Peach moaned.

Ridley offerred her a potted seedling.

"Ridley?! A plant? What is it?"

"RAWR!"

"Hm, I wouldn't do this normally, but Sheik did tell us that we're all allies here. Are you _sure_ this isn't some kind of parasite?"

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"I see you will not take no for an answer. I'll just set it on this cabinet."

Amidst the ruckus, Richter pushed away a wall panel near the lights to pilfer from his secret stash of food for lunch, only to find Pichu sleeping inside.

"*Yawn*. Oh, were those your ramen noodles? Sorry, I must have been sleepwalking again."

"It's fine; I'll just have to find a new place for it. Hey Corrin, wanna go fishing?"

"I don't think either of them heard you."

"Hey Luge, you wanna go fishing?"

"Sure!"

"You know, I've heard you've come a long way since being the donut guy. Anyway, let's take leave before somebody smashes a chair."

Morton then proceeded to do just that over Incineroar's head, who then gave him a proper beating.

"Point taken Richter," Luigi replied.

While they left, the Ice Climbers announced to everyone that they had an idea: Why not see if Galeem or the spirits affect the magnetic poles with a compass and go on from there? Everyone seemed to agree. They all walked outside headquarters and the Ice Climbers held up their compass. After a couple of minutes, it did indeed start acting up.

At that moment, Sheik noticed another ray of light headed towards them and warned everyone. The second blast caused another explosion.

"Is everyone alright?" Male Wii Fit Trainer queried.

Chrom counted everyone. "Thankfully no one was hit this time, but the compass blew up" He then turned toward Ken, who was grunting in pain. A bolt of the energy had stabbed him, and now, he was on his knees.

"I've been battered, beaten, and burned; but to go out like this? A dirty coward that Galeem." Ken fell to the ground and both him and the bolt vanished. Everyone gasped. Chrom's face showed that of nausea, as he had experienced a very similar injury in the past, and so had female Robin. Lucas pointed out that Dr. Mario had met a similar fate. They watched him wave goodbye to Peach and Daisy, then disappearing.

"It-It's happening again! Where are Luigi and Richter? Someone, find them now!" Sheik cried out.

Lucina told them that she knew where they were. She and Yoshi looked at each other and she jumped on his back before riding off toward the nearby lake.

"Is something particularly wrong Sheik? It is rare that you show such signs of fear," Meta Knight questioned.

Sheik then without warning, fell to her knees too.

Sheik struggled to stand up but was ultimately successful—barely. Exhausted, Sheik turned to Ike and stammered: "Ike, you must lead the charge now. I'm…sorry," before she collapsed then faded away a few moments later.

"Oh no."

* * *

Luigi cast Richter's whip into the water.

"I'm not sure how much Simon would approve of using the Vampire Killer as a fishing rod, but I will give you points for creativity," Richter professed. He, Luigi, and Nino laughed. "You know, I was reading about the legend of Julius Belmont, and I guess this is what it must be like to relax—even if it's for just a moment. Heck, just imagine someone fighting Dracula and because of us, he smells like fish!" The trio laughed again.

"Hey! Luigi, Richter; you've got a bite!" shouted Nino.

Luigi pulled the whip in and much to his surprise, they had actually caught a few fish!

"Ha. Ha. Will you look at that?"

"Hooray!"

"Yeah, the guys back at the city will love this," Richter stated as he removed the fish from the spikes and placed them into an empty sack that they had brought with them.

Luigi then remembered their conservation from earlier; was Richter implying that they would have to fight Dracula?

"If darkness is looming, Dracula can't be too far behind. But I wouldn't worry about it too much, for I am Richter Belmont—Vampire Hunter! Who knows? We might even rescue Simon before then. Then it'll really be a piece of cake!"

Luigi tried to mimic one of Richter's taunts while giving a monologue himself. "And I am Luigi, um, Brother of Mario, Veteran, Member of the Belmont Bromance, and…I'm the hero!"

Richter and Nino smirked. "Yeah, we might have to work a bit on that one. Anyway, let's nab ourselves a few more."

"Okay!"

Luigi and Richter took turns reeling in more fish; enough to feed almost everyone.

"Alright, let's get back to base."

They walked around a third of the way when Lucina—and only Lucina reached them. "Guys, you have to come back immediately! Ken and Dr. Mario were vaporized by another one of Galeem's explosions…and so was Yoshi."

The news hit Luigi particularly hard—Not more of his closest friends. By the time it took the trio to process the event, Lucina was already running back. Richter playfully nudged Luigi with his elbow. "Race ya." Richter then took off.

"Hey!" Luigi smirked as he started running.

They followed Lucina until Richter gave out. Luigi skidded on his heels.

"Richter! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me; I just need some water. Luckily, I still have some left from the spring."

"Oh. Just try not to tire yourself out. See you." Luigi dashed away, with Nino right behind him.

When Luigi reached a distance where he couldn't see him, Richter looked around him for a sign of light. Then, he said a prayer and poured a small amount of holy water on himself. It stung a little, like applying rubbing alcohol to an open wound, but it kept whatever was bothering Richter at bay, for a while. After a while, he caught up with Luigi, Lucina, and Nino.

The four of them made it back. Toon Link informed them that while they were gone, in addition to Ken, Dr. Mario, and Sheik; Wendy Koopa and Mii Sword Fighter had also perished. He stepped a few inches to the side revealing several of the fighters surrounding Ness, who was lying on the ground. He and Lucas were trying to use their PSI to hold off the inevitable, but once they ran out of psychic points, Ness was gone.

As everyone stood devastated, Ike turned the group's attention to Luigi—The only member of the Original Twelve remaining among them. It was at that moment; Richter's secret was revealed. He fell on his side, letting go of his empty bottle of holy water. Ike held Richter up to a sitting position, allowing him to lean on his knees.

"It's happening. I'm sorry I lied to you. Here, take The Vampire Killer lest it too fall into the hands of darkness." Luigi accepted the legendary weapon. Him, Nino, and Lucina, in particular, begged Richter to stay.

Richter mustered up the power and courage to smile. "But I promise you'll get through this. As for me, I guess, for now, 'farewell,'" he professed issuing the group a V-sign which he held up until the moment he began to fade away. A short time later, he was completely gone. Then, the Vampire Killer vanished in Luigi's arms.

"Richter." Luigi didn't say anything else at first as tears started streaming down his face. Once Daisy allowed him to cry into her shoulders and get all of his emotions out, he became a blubbering mess.

Ike looked at Luigi once again; his expression was a mournful one. Under it—between what happened to Ness and the Belmonts' wishes—he gave a single order: "Protect him at all costs." Everyone stood up, including Luigi—deeply heartened that everyone agreed. Luigi then noticed Cloud, far away, looking off into the sunset. He sprinted up to Cloud. "What's the matter?"

"I just needed a moment to compose myself."

Nino chimed in. "Wait, I don't understand; how did Galeem seal away Richter? We weren't even anywhere near the explosion."

Cloud hesitated. He eventually said to them, "I wish I could tell you, but one way or another, we'll get through this—all of us."

"Indeed," said Alucard.

* * *

 _Eight more fighters fell to Galeem's attack today, including Sheik. I fear more and more that by the time we get to Galeem, there won't be enough of us left to win. There are only about what? Somewhere between twenty and thirty of us left depending on who you ask. The vast world that lies before us; is it one of Light, or of Darkness?_


	4. Betrayal, Betrayal, I am Betrayal!

_One day has passed since the second incident. Increasingly, the events we have witnessed are starting to take their toll on the others. I just hope this all ends soon. Ever since then, I've devoted all my time to a new strategy to keep everyone safe._

 _Dark Samus—The Phazon Echo of Samus_

 _Luigi—_ _To be honest, he's kind of useless._ _Scratch that; Luigi—Mario's timid little brother with a big heart_

 _Peach—Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom_

 _Daisy—Princess of Sarasaland, and Peach's Echo_

 _Nana and Popo a.k.a. The Ice Climbers_

 _Pichu—The go-getting pre-evolution of Pikachu_

 _Young Link—One of two incarnations of Link traveling with us; Mature for his age._

 _Meta Knight—A skilled swordsman and rival of sorts to Kirby_

 _Ike—The Radiant Hero of Legend, wielder of Ragnell, and supposed ancestor of Priam_

 _Leaf—A female Pokémon trainer from Kanto; Her team is the same as Red's but have different colors._

 _Lucas—Another boy from Ness's homeworld who shares similar powers_

 _Olimar—A spaceman who travels and cares for flower creatures called Pikmin_

 _Toon Link—The other Link traveling with us; enthusiastic and cheerful; Hero of the Winds_

 _Wii Fit Trainer (Male)—He's just like his female counterpart, but masculine_

 _Miis—Human-like beings who live for the fight with fists and guns_

 _Little Mac—The boxing type_

 _Pac-Man—An, um, Pac-man who loves power pellets and fruit; quiet, yet jolly_

 _Chrom—Exalt of Ylisse, wielder of Falchion, and a great hero_

 _Lucina—Chrom's daughter, heroine of Ylisse, and my wife_

 _Robin—Me; Male tactician hero of Ylisse_

 _The Koopalings (Lemmy, Iggy, Roy, Ludwig, Larry, & Morton)—All-around mischief makers and Bowser's top goons; I do not trust them._

 _Corrins—Prince and Princess of three far-off kingdoms; Have dragon's blood; be careful around Falchion._

 _Cloud—Member of an elite fighting force; lonesome at first, but he's since made many friends in Smash_

 _Ridley—Arch-enemy of Samus Aran; possibly the most wicked one out of everyone here_

 _Incineroar— Grandiose fiery pro-wrestler from the Alola region; Loves to be as loud as possible_

 _(Male Robin)_

* * *

"I've gone over countless strategies and I have only come up with one solution."

"What?"

"We're splitting up."

Everyone got fell into an uproar.

"Since when has that EVER been a good idea?"

"How will we communicate?"

"I wanna go home!"

"If only Shulk was here," one fighter said with despair. "He would know what to do."

"Hear me out; what was the only reason we survived? We weren't there. We have no other choice. Ike and I have planned the most optimal groups. Young Link, Little Mac, Meta Knight, Cloud, Incineroar, Mii Brawler, Pac-Man, Olimar, Ridley, Ice Climbers, Morton, Peach, Daisy, Chrom, Lucina, and I will head out west. The rest of you, feel free to head out whichever way you want."

"You hear that Larry? I'm singled out for the smart guy," Morton guffawed.

"Shut up."

Lemmy cried out to Morton, "But I don't want us to be separated! We're a team!"

"If any of you want to switch spirits, I will allow it," Ike interjected. The two groups made sure each other had all types of spirits that would serve them in a wide variety of situations.

Luigi and Daisy hugged each other. "I'll be seeing you in a while, crocodile," Daisy said.

"Y-yeah…I can't wait for us to put all this behind us together."

"Ha. Ha. We'll look back in these times and laugh one day—now, turn that frown upside down." She said, giving him a wink.

They kissed passionately before going their separate ways. When he turned around, Luigi was surprised to see Pichu jumping toward him.

"Yay you! It looks like someone found a girlfriend after all! I knew you could do it!"

Luigi's cheeks turned pink. "Well, it's actually all a little overwhelming considering just how much things have really turned around for me since then—only for it all to come falling back down."

"Given someone like you, I wouldn't be surprised. Tee hee!"

Then Pichu jumped from Luigi's arms onto Leaf's left shoulder. All three smiled at each other.

"Speaking of love, I'm really looking forward to visiting the heart-shaped lake!"

Robin's group trekked through the area through a jungle that led into a base. Hopefully, they could learn more about Galeem and the World of Light there.

Nana noticed a large shadow in the sky—that of a dragon. "Is it a pterodactyl?"

Mii brawler added: "Should we follow it?"

"If your description is correct, it's not entirely impossible that it could have survived," Robin noted.

Olimar and Morton wandered in the direction of the dragon but got evaporated by an unforeseen light beam.

"Everyone, run!" Meta Knight shouted.

Struggling to keep together, Robin's group headed into the mysterious jungle. Daisy sighed, realizing that they were lost. They made their way through the tunnel near the jungle before descending upon the mysterious base. Robin pointed out that entry appeared to require a card key. Incineroar scoffed and smashed the machine. "That also seemed to work."

They stepped inside, where plenty of spirit-possessed clones were waiting for them. Some were more formidable than others, but none were a match for all fifteen of them. After more destruction of the security network, they came across a series of books strewn across the floor. They immediately dived in.

Combined, they describe Galeem as a deity-like being that seeks to create its own world through the destruction of others, and that sealed in a world chaos and darkness lies another being: Dharkon; that was at war with Galeem over the world.

Robin put his face in his hands on a table. "In no way could I have ever planned for a war on two fronts."

Meta Knight soon fell into a fit of unspeakable rage; slicing several of the other books in two, kicking down a desk, and throwing his sword. "DERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" MUST WE FOREVER HAVE TO SPEND EVERY MOMENT IN COWARDICE OF FORCES THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL?"

Peach attempted to console him, "But Meta Knight…"

"SHUT UP! **YOU** OF ALL OF US SHOULD KNOW; YOU WERE THERE WITH ME WHEN WE WERE ALL ANNIHILATED THE FIRST TIME, AND THAT IF KING DEDEDE AND A SELECT FEW WERE THERE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE MADE IT ALL THOSE YEARS BACK! NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME SOME…THING CAN JUST VAPORIZE ALL OF US ONE BY ONE? WHAT IF THAT HAPPENS? I'D RATHER DIE BY _YOUR_ HAND PRINCESS, THAN THAT OF SOME SUDDEN GOD! LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I WILL KILL EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM—PERMANATELY: EVEN THE MASTER HANDS!

The moment was interrupted when everyone heard echoes of metallic growls. Ridley recognized them immediately as those of Galleom—a former cohort of his.

They fought some more clones and made it to Galleom. As much as it stomped, stabbed, and crushed; there were more than enough Fighters to take it down even if it managed to knock out a few of them. Then, Galleom assumed its tank form, hitting most of them. Undeterred, Young Link shot a Fire Arrow at it. Galleom had almost been defeated when suddenly, a siren rang out and the room began to flash in and out with a bright red light. A door on the other side slid open. Lucina turned around and couldn't believe what she had seen. There he was: a possessed Snake standing in front of a switch on the wall. She ran over to apprehend him, but as quickly as she recognized him, he was gone. She looked back at the exposed outside world, which grew increasingly bright, coming to the conclusion that this whole operation was a trap set up by Galleom.

Little Mac was regaining his stamina after being hit by Galleom when he noticed that the light was condensing into the beams that they had previously seen eliminate so many others.

"The light!" he screamed before being vaporized.

Peach held her frying pan in front of her face, and even the Toad that followed her tried to shield her, but to only a second-long avail. Daisy tried to kick an enemy into the beams with similar results. Incineroar and Ridley tried to use their combined power of fire to fight it but were also easily overtaken. Young Link held his shield directly in front of him as he tried to play "The Song of Time" on his ocarina with one hand, but unlike Link's Hylian Shield, the wooden Deku Shield proved useless against the beams of light. Mii Brawler and Pac-Man tried to run but couldn't. Seeing this, the Ice Climbers huddled together in each other's arms in the face of impending doom. Robin unleashed the full power of his Thoron, but the light overwhelmed it, and him. The only thing Chrom could think about, however, was his daughter.

"Lucina!"

"Father!"

He attempted to throw the Fire Emblem to her, but it was too late.

"No!" Another beam of light hit the shield, forcibly pushing Chrom against the wall; the pressure was so strong, he couldn't move.

Cloud's acrobatics allowed him to dodge several of the beams targeting him and Meta Knight's agility combined with his Dimensional cape ability made them both hard targets, but the light appeared right under Meta Knight, catching him. Cloud barely managed to cast all the summons he was carrying at once, fending off the light just enough to ensure his escape into the shadows.


	5. Stolen Dreams

"Galeem! Your time has come to an end. This is for all of our friends! Face fire and Ragnell!

[This is for my brother: Die monster! You don't belong in this world!"]

"Phew. That was a tough battle, but we won and in no small part thanks to you. Galeem is no more. Now let's rescue everyone and return this land to peace once and for all."

[Nods]

"Ah!"

["Where did those pillars of fire come from?"]

"I don't know but keep on the lookout."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. You think I would really just hide in the background while the Belmonts were away?"

"Who is that?"

["T-this must be that monster Richter was talking about."]

"Father. Leave these two alone."

"Alucard, I thought you were Cloud's spirit."

"I was. Slice!"

"Elwind!"

"Great Aether!"

* * *

Luigi rose from a hectic session of sleep. M. Wii Fit Trainer and Nino heard his rapid breathing and coached some deep breaths for him.

"What happened, Luigi?" Nino inquired.

"I dreamt I was nearly all alone and there was a' this evil, fanged, undead madman who could throw fire, and out of the window I saw this giant floating half-a skeleton with a scythe, and…" Luigi began to gasp in short breaths again.

"Take it easy; it was only a nightmare," Male Wii Fit Trainer noted, "Given recent events combined with your timid nature, and particularly vivid dreaming, it's perfectly normal. We can't have you become faint due to an anxiety attack. Unfortunately, I can't set up a therapy routine since we're heading out. Ike told me to keep a special eye on you, though, so I'll do what I can in case you get nervous again."

"Wow. Ike is such a good leader; I'm honestly still surprised a' some Crimean marchioness hasn't a' managed to win him over yet. Thanks for helping me calm down, by the way."

"No need. After all, mental health is also important to a healthy body. Hahahahahahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Then, Nino had thought to herself while she was sorting her books; "Wow. The only thing that could make this better is if my big brothers were here, but that's why I've gotta be tough: So, I can help Luigi find his!"

After planning their route, Ike and his group of fighters set off to explore even more of the World of Light.

"Oh wow!" This place is beautiful!" Pichu squeaked. "Gemstones, trees, ribbons, rainbows, and Poképuffs as far as the eye can see!"

"And we're not even at the lake yet," Leaf commented.

"Oh yeah! It seems like all your concerns just blow away here at this magical place!"

Ike couldn't help but catch their infectious cheer; it was the first time since before Galeem arrived that he'd seen some of them happy.

Refusing to let the whimsy take hold, Dark Samus and the remaining Koopalings went off without the rest of the group without telling them.

Pichu was the first to notice and pled them to wait for the rest of them. To the amusement of everyone else, it preferred to roll in the grass after them.

The pursuit led them to some more clones, which they took down. They even befriended an Oshawott, Bear Hugger, and a puppy.

"Phew, that was quite the workout." M. Wii Fit Trainer exclaimed while casually eating an apple. "And I'm so glad to be reunited with my pet!"

"I'm not so sure this is the time to be celebrating just yet." M. Corrin said.

"Oh, cheer up. Why the long face anyway?"

Nino used a wind spell to free even more apples from a tree and gave one to Corrin.

"Thank you. I don't know; just something feels ominous about the cliff over there."

"I-I feel it too," Lucas told him.

Toon Link thought about it and responded to Corrin and Lucas. "We're going uphill, and Galeem is in the sky, right? I'm sure the closer we're getting to it, the creepier it gets."

"Then I suppose our next course of action is to climb," Ike decreed, "If our whole point is to beat it; I imagine there must be some sort of dungeon the others are trapped in, and _that's_ where we'll find them. We'll just have to try and not get caught."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Iggy scowled.

"Well, part of a plan is better than no plan! Now let's go!" Leaf shouted in her usual chipper manner.

The group made their way across a bridge, ascended a clifftop, and began their journey toward a menacing castle in the distance.

"Ugh, since when did it get so hot?" Pichu bewailed.

"Well, where I come from, when this happens, it usually means that this is Death Mountain, which…" he gasped, "this is where Link and Zelda could be!" His newfound motivation gave him enough energy to run ahead of everyone else.

"Be careful! Also, since when is there a castle on Death Mountain?" the Mii Gunner wondered.

"Unless this is Bowser's Castle!" Larry cried out. The other Koopalings' ears perked.

"Whaaaaaaaaat? Bowser's Castle?! Is this for real?" Lemmy squealed.

"You bet it is! Koopalings, lead the way!" Roy shouted.

A giant Squirtle was guarding the castle. When it saw the sheer number of Fighters heading towards it, it retreated inside.

Leaf stomped her feet and yelled, "Hey! That knockoff looked an awful lot like my Squirtle! Come back here, you substituting coward!"

The Fighters were almost at the entrance when they heard an unmistakably ferocious roar: Giga Bowser.

Ike refused to surrender and ordered them to charge. As soon as Ike gave the order, two clones burst through. Their identities struck terror into everyone: Male Robin and Lucina. The Lucina clone gave her name as Aisya.

"Oh gosh. Is that…Robin and…Lucina?" the female Corrin beseeched.

"And if Galeem has reclaimed Aisya's spirit, then…that means Peach must be gone too!" Nino sniveled out.

"Did someone call my name?" A possessed Peach walked out from between the fake Robin and Lucina.

The remaining Fighters stood there speechless.

Giga Bowser riled up its own summon of unraveling Master Hands from the inside that loomed over the castle's towers. More beams were coming.

"Is this a trap? Everyone, retreeeeeeeeeeeaat!" Toon Link screamed before being knocked vulnerable by one beam then vaporized by a second.

The Mii Gunner's Echo Reflector managed to keep the beam away from touching her, but eventually, it broke through—annihilating her.

Leaf, knowing she wouldn't make it, sprinted for a bit then threw all of her Pokéballs into the water—an action that didn't go unnoticed by Pichu, who was quite a way's behind her. It cried out to her, then propelled itself using a fully charged Skull Bash onto Leaf's back; pushing her out of the way enough distance where she could dive, at the cost of its own life.

Ike was the second to successfully reach the waterfall. Over him, he noticed six other figures. Before he could process their identities, however; four of them were caught in the beams. From the screams, he could tell that three of them were Larry, Lemmy, and Iggy Koopa. He grabbed the edge of a small rock and pulled himself up. Soaked, he made is way toward a strange-looking Squirtle rubbing Leaf's back.

Ike looked behind him: lying there were Luigi, Ludwig, and oddly enough, Lemmy. It wasn't long before another person approached them from the other side: Cloud.

Luigi gasped in disbelief. "Cloud? How'd you get here so fast?"

"I stole the bus. And it seems as if the clones lured you into a trap as well."

Ike professed. "Tell me about it. Everyone you don't see before you is gone—Lucas, Dark Samus, Male Wii Fit Trainer, the other Roy, both Corrins, all of them."

"I wouldn't be here if Pichu hadn't made the ultimate sacrifice," Leaf added with a mournful tone in her voice.

Cloud sighed. "We did, however, learn that Galeem could be reached through space if we defeated the right monsters, including Giga Bowser up there, but shortly after, the clones, Galleom, and even a possessed fighter attacked us; I was the only survivor."

Then, out of the blue Lemmy rose up with a Fire Flower in hand and opened his red eyes. Leaf's Ivysaur immediately tackled him into the water. The two jumped in and out continuously while clashing with aerial smashes. Squirtle joined the fray hitting Iggy with Water Gun. Ivysaur then used a Vine Whip to grab Iggy, throwing him up in the air. Finally, Leaf unleashed her Charizard and instructed it to attack him with Fly. Charizard launched Iggy up in the air out of sight—finishing the fight. As Leaf congratulated her Pokémon, Heavy Lobster's spirit emerged from the water. Without saying a word, Ludwig took the spirit for himself.

Suddenly, everyone noticed a second twinkle in the sky.

"What's that?" Cloud asked.

"Looks like something managed to slip through," replied Luigi.

"But what _is_ it?" begged Leaf.

A few moments later, the mysterious object struck the ground: a card with a strange symbol on it. Ike picked it up; "'Take Your Heart.' Must be foreign; wonder what that means."

"I have no idea," said Ludwig.

Luigi snickered to himself.

"And just what do YOU think is so funny about that?"

"Like you would know anything about anyone's heart," he said.

"Grr…"

"Will those two ever _truly_ get along?" Leaf asked rolling her eyes.

Cloud gave a snarky reply himself: "Some things just never change, Leaf." He then asked to see the card himself.

Ike handed the card over to him. Cloud quickly smirked upon seeing the emblem.

"Well, who is it: one of your friends?"

"Kind of; a vigilante if you will."

All of this amused Leaf.

"Hee. Hee. I'm so glad even in these dark times there are still moments of happiness."

Cloud put the card in one of his pockets. "Now let's get a move on."

"But, which way?" Leaf begged. Ike stood blankly as if he were in a trance.

"Ludwig? Ike? Luigi?"

No one said a word to each other until Cloud made a reflection: "I don't know. It seems we have no choice but to go into hiding, for now."


	6. Dawn's Last Stand

A handful of days and nights passed. It had seemed as though the survivors had lost all hope. All they thought they could do now was hide. And so, they did; in the deepest darkest cove they could find. Everyone was worn, tired, and hungry. Leaf especially felt the responsibility to find food as she had herself and her Pokémon to feed in addition to everyone else. She told everyone she was going to find some more. Ludwig chastised her for wasting their food on her Pokémon and tried to start a fight with her when both Ike and Cloud came to her defense.

"Fine Leaf! I'll help you; maybe then you'll forgive me."

"Gladly."

They climbed up the makeshift ladder up toward ground level.

After some time, the remaining three decided to take turns sleeping; two could sleep, while the other watched for trouble. Ike took the first shift, then Luigi. Still, Ike got up anyway and started to head out after being awoken by a crumbled stalactite. He whispered into Luigi's ear: "I grow worried for that Koopa Kid and girl; I'm going to check outside"

"We're coming too."

"Hm? Hm."

Ike ignored Luigi and set off on his own. As soon as he left, Luigi ran over to Cloud.

"Cloud. Cloud! We have to follow Ike."

"Alright. Alright. Should we bring the spirits?"

"Um, yeah."

Cloud, Luigi, Nino, and Alucard snuck to the entrance of the cavern and hid in a secret hideaway they had dug out earlier with the help of Heavy Lobster.

Much to their relief, Ike, Leaf, and Ludwig were safe, but they froze when they saw numerous explosions in the sky.

"Are those…Master Hands?" Leaf queried with great astonishment.

Ike responded with another question; "But what's causing them to explode like that?"

Nino looked to the side and tapped Cloud's shoulder. "Guys, look!"

She directed their attention to an ever-growing crack in the sky. More hands broke through, revealing nothing but a pitch-black hole. They fought and destroyed many of the Master Hands, while a giant burst of light close by nearly blinded the fighters. The world around them grew darker by the second. Then, an impressive number of Crazy hands moved toward them.

Ike rubbed Ragnell with his gloves as a show of intimidation, Leaf threw out her Pokémon, and Ludwig readied his wand.

"This is where we make our last stand. Are you ready?" Ike queried.

"Don't say that!" Leaf shouted.

Ludwig added in his own war cry: "Let's toss them out like the vermin they are."

They growled and lunged toward their enemies.

While Ludwig, Ike, and Leaf were preoccupied with the Crazy Hands, three giant spirits emerged from the hole: Ganon, Marx, and Dracula. With them, they brought numerous clones of the fallen fighters.

Seeing it their appearance as an attempted ambush, Cloud, Alucard, Luigi, and Nino charged at the monsters. Cloud jumped straight toward the Ganon spirit and stabbed it directly in the forehead. The blow caused yet another massive explosion and triggered two more. When the dark energy and dust settled, only Luigi and Leaf remained in the darkened World of Light, the latter of whom was unconscious.

"Leaf? Leaf?! Leaf wake up! LEAF?!" Luigi wailed as he shook Leaf's body.

"No…No. NO! NO! NO! Leaf, I'm sorry! Nino, Ike, Cloud, Alucard, and all the rest…" Luigi slumped over Leaf; his tears dripping to the ground.

Suddenly, A sonorous voice called out to him from the darkened sky. "You, I know how to defeat Galeem and save the girl."

"Huh? Y-you do? Who are you?"

"I am the one who banishes the light; the one with the power you seek: Dharkon."


	7. Sorrow, Serenity, Purpose

"Like the darkness? Why would I wanna trust you?"

"Just as I anticipated; in the past, darkness has always been seen as the prime corruptor, but look at what the light has done to this world; Everyone you know is dead."

"You're lying. YOU DID THIS!" Luigi shouted forcefully turning to him-fireball in hand.

"I only _reacted_ to Galeem's wrath. If it weren't for him and the Master Hands, I would not have had to release my army of monsters against the light's puppets, nor end up killing your friends in the process."

"What are you talking about? I don't have to listen to you."

A cloud of darkness showed Luigi a tinted projection of the extent of each of the massacres, which Dharkon manipulated to make it appear as though absolutely no one had been spared; then a look into Galeem's collection of puppet fighters. Mario, in particular, seemed to be suffering, as his essence was used to produce clones for both of the brothers. Meanwhile, Ike had just been pummeled by Crazy Hands led by Marx, Ludwig was turned to stone, Alucard's spirit was forcibly inserted into a Simon clone controlled by his father, and Cloud was barely holding on in his own clash with Ganon and even more Crazy Hands. Finally, it shifted toward a scene of pure nightmare: a hologram of Death; its scythe inches from Luigi's chest.

The sequences struck Luigi relentlessly. "It can't be! I don't wanna die! I can't! Why did this have to happen?" Dharkon knew the next stage in his plan had worked; he continued to relish Luigi's emotional breakdown.

"I am aware, but thanks to you, it doesn't have to be that way forever."

"What do you mean; and where's Nino?"

"Throughout your journey, your group has slain an impressive amount of Galeem's puppets, weakening his shield and the seals imprisoning me. As for the girl, the puppets have imprisoned her. Now, help me to finish our destiny. I'll even let you keep your soul if you prove yourself willing to cooperate, for puppets are just that: beings with no identity of their own; no nerves to strategize—nothing but a burden to the forces that pull the strings."

"K-keep…my soul?" Luigi sighed. "I have no choice. I'll do what ask of me Dharkon."

"Good."

The dark forces expanded and created a stairway to a far-off tundra region.

"Now go."

Luigi laid a flower on Leaf's chest, then reluctantly climbed the stairs, taking one last look at her before leaving the World of Light.

"Brr…Where did you say you were?"

Dharkon directed Luigi's attention to a small gathering of spirt-controlled clones, which he made quick work of.

"How many more of these guys do I have to beat up?"

"It will only be a matter of time before you have weathered Galeem's influence enough to where we can face him head-on. Then, we can find all of them a new home of their own desires."

* * *

Red walked up to Leaf. This time, she woke up.

"Huh? Red! It's so good to see you again!" She hugged him as hard as she could.

"Leaf, how did you get here?"

"Ugh. All I remember was the attack. Huh? Who left this flower here?"

"Don't worry, we're here to rescue you."

"We?"

In front of them was everyone rescued in the World of Light, including Bowser, Peach, and Pichu.

"And it's all thanks to Kirby here!"

"Hi!"

"I'm so glad. You have no idea how happy you've made me!" she squealed hugging Kirby and Pichu.

"There's still plenty of more work to do. Now, let's face down Dharkon, together!"

"Wait! There's something you should know." Leaf told them her story-about Luigi, Ike, Cloud, and Alucard.

* * *

While meditating in a replica of his old manor, Luigi heard Kirby, Mario, Pit, Marth, Simon, Lucario, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Greninja, and Rosalina & Luma; they were looking for him!

Mario's call to his brother echoed through the icy wind. Hearing them, Luigi turned around and took a good look at this particular ensemble. He slipped on the ice, falling on his face. After getting back up, he developed a headache and placed his right hand on the side of his head. He then spoke to them: "Guys? You came…Nrgh. Not me…Not again…Stay away from me!" In his anguish, he threw five fireballs at them with his other hand. None of them hit, but they did generate steam upon contact with icicle stalagmites.

Everyone gasped in sheer terror.

"What has he done to you?" Mario exclaimed in complete shock.

"Nothing, my beloved brother. I assure you that I'm the Luigi you know," he said as a dark red aura around him grew visible, "I am no longer at the mercy of Death; I AM DEATH! Now face a' me and be free! We will overthrow Galeem and restore this world!"

"This is not you."

"SILENCE! Spare me your façade and our new lord and savior will grant you mercy. Please…surrender, for my sake…I want my family...and…all my friends back…more than anything…the warmth of life…I long for it again. Do you know…the pain…I've been through…up…to this moment…Of course, you do; _You_ caused it; YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME! But I've come here to end it all. Now make like the Falchion and be awakened!"

Mario gasped once more. Lucario placed his palm in front of him. He mediated, focusing all his senses on Luigi's aura: "He speaks the truth."

"What? Then why is he attacking us? It's us!"

"The soul and body you see are his, but he has become a servant to Dharkon; he sees us here now but has also seen our fates on that day, over and over again. Dharkon is twisting the confusion, anger, guilt, fear, and passion inside of him to turn him this way. I'm afraid he can't be reasoned with in this state."

Pit spun his blades. "Well, I say it's time to teach this fool to face the light and the truth!"

Luigi scoffed as he called for a Death's Scythe to materialize in his hands; "I cannot lose," thrashing Pit mercilessly after grabbing him with his tether and kicking him to the side.

"You're the fool. Light only TAKES from life!" Luigi said to Pit in a sinister tone about to slash him. The angel was only able to escape back to Mario's group after Luma fired some Star Bits to distract Luigi.

"Poor choice of words, Pit," Lucario grunted.

Luigi brushed some diamond dust off his shoulder. "Mario…Rosalina…Kirby…Jigglypuff…Simon…please stop. I don't want to hurt you. Each of you…I…don't know what I'd do without them...All puppets…MUST DIE!" He belted out a drawn-out deranged laugh, "Die. Die. DIE!"

Mewtwo stood forward. "I'll take care of this."

Lucario reproached his psychic contemporary; "No. Do you really want to further mess with an already broken mind?"

"Well, what do _you_ suggest we do?"

Jigglypuff hopped in the air and gave her Pokémon cry to get Mario's attention; "What is it, Jigglypuff?"

She gave him a Brewster Spirit, equipped the magical Spirit of Azura on herself, and initiated a mock fight with them. The others agreed to allow her to charge up her Final Smash and attempt to prove her innocence, and once she did, she grew to a gigantic size, grabbed a microphone, and began to sing;

Jiggaly...puff...jiggaly...puff!

Jiggaly...puff...jiggaly...yyy…puff!

Of course, every one of her comrades (barring Mario) instantly fell asleep upon hearing her Sing. Mario helped too. Luigi trembled just as he did when the dark aura triggered the visions—now in the form of waking nightmares—Dharkon had cursed him with. He tried to lash out at Jigglypuff in an effort to end the turmoil. Yet, the song was also indirectly weakening the darkness's hold on him; for how could a puppet sing so beautifully? Was this truly his close friend reborn?

Jigglypuff continued to sing even as she shrank back down to normal size, then she remembered the tune Cloud was humming right before she was overtaken and began to sing to it.

" _It's going to be alright, Jigglypuff. We_ _will_ _find a way to rescue you. Remember:_ ** _you're not alone_** _."_

(Colors weave into a spire of flame

Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night

Search your soul and reawaken the undying light!

These little sparks cling onto life, and then the storms of change

They fan the flames scattering ashes to the wind!

As fate spins its threads, without end, new life draws its first

Breath blossoming in a soil reclaimed from the past

Here where we stand hand clenched in hand, everyone

This is the day we find a way!

Stepping into our tomorrow

Every soul contains a whisper of light

Trust that in your heart, nothing will stop us from loving you

Everything is going to be okay!

Though times seem bleak, a ray of hope can still appear

Step back into the light, and remember the hero you are!

Friends and souls reunited in this World of Love

You were never alone

Light and dark alike, we'll vanquish this veil of lies

Now that you are home

Colors weave into a spire of flame; distant sparks

Call to a past still unnamed

Bear this torch against the cold of the night. Light will guide

You to the Ultimate Fight!)

The dark aura disappeared completely. Luigi got closer to Jigglypuff and hugged her. "Jigglypuff, it really is you; I can feel your warmth; there was someone else after all…Thank you." Luigi then fell sound asleep with a smile on his face.

Mario came and started to carry his snoozing little brother over his shoulder back to the World of Light. "C'mon. Let's a' get him out of here before Dharkon finds out."

It was at that moment Jigglypuff saw everyone else sleeping and became angry. By now she knew better than to draw on everyone's faces, but she couldn't help but bear the thought; so, she just stole Mario's Brewster Spirit and woke everyone up that way.

Mario announced that he was temporarily returning to the World of Light.

"I'll come with you," offered Rosalina. Luma spun and squeaked in unison. While Kirby ran to give Mario one of many hugs.

Mewtwo asked them; "But are you sure you know the way?"

Marth added, "We'll meet you at the Gravity Dojo."

The rest waved good-bye.

* * *

"Are you awake?"

Luigi opened his eyes and hugged the voice that softly called him; it was Rosalina. Mario and Kirby were there too. They joined in.

"I've missed you all so much!"

"Don't worry; we'll take care of you."

"But what about…"

"Shh. Only when you are ready."

Luigi took a moment to admire his new surroundings. They were in a divine forest up in the sky. The sun was shining, the grass was soft, there were no threats, and his friends' eyes were as blue as the sky. He was crying again, but these were tears of joy.

"We missed you too Bro," Mario said, "And we've still got more work to do, a few more Fighters to save, and a Dharkon to beat up."

"I don't understand."

"Hm?"

"As long as Dharkon is alive, I fear I may lose control again. What does he want anyway?"

"The embodiment of chaos and darkness, he wants to engulf the world in…well, darkness; I'm not sure how I can fully explain it."

The flashbacks came back to him again. "Have we truly been forsaken?"

"I…"

Rosalina spoke to him again; "In their eyes, yes, but just like any opposing force, we have the power given onto us to resist. For every storm of hate, there is always love to help us weather through it—to help us keep going. There is no reason to give in to the storm if you are able; some run, some hide, and some face it directly. You, of all people, should know that."

"You're right; even when you aren't here, just by cherishing our lives and stories, I never truly gave up on anyone. The only reason I gave Dharkon my word was, so I could keep going, to keep my body and soul together so I could keep looking for you, and now that I know you're safe, I want to stay here, with you."

"We understand fully; it's been rough on us all."

"Poyo!"

"Kirby says that of the three thresholds giving him his power, we have destroyed two of them, and most of the others are battling the third," Rosalina said.

The pink puff nodded.

Mario chimed in, "Okay, Kirby and I are going to finish the fight, but we'll be back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Byiii!" Kirby squealed.

Mario kept running before he saw the clash of light and darkness up in the sky. They then turned to him and Kirby. Zelda informed them that the others had successfully defeated Dracula and rescued nearly all the others. The final battle had begun.

"There's almost too many of them!" Samus shouted; Galeem and Dharkon's armies against them both. There were clones of all shapes and sizes, Master Hand, and Crazy Hand, and four last Puppet Fighters to defeat. It took all of the Fighters' strength to weaken them enough. Richter returned to unite Starfy and Starly, Hinawa and Claus supported Lucas, and Ike destroyed Mother Brain—just to name a few.

In a late fight, Donkey Kong took on a Gold Ridley clone inspirited by the Legendary Pokémon Lunala. A Moongeist Beam injured DK greatly, but he was still able to fight. They were both charging up their specials when the Ridley clone was struck from behind. As it collapsed, the moonlight shone down revealing the accoster: Luigi, facing right. He then turned to DK making finger gun gestures with both hands and pretending to shoot them, saying. "Bang! Bang!"

In response, DK beat his chest and gave him a big toothy grin. The two then joined the others in the fight.

After the last Fighter was rescued, all of them rallied behind Mario and Kirby to make the climb to Galeem and Dharkon.

"We will fight to protect all that is good, the world where our freedom rings true, neither for light nor darkness, but for love, with you at my side." Pichu jumped in front of them, cheering everyone on.

* * *

All the Fighters watched Galeem and Dharkon fall into the ocean and explode.

"I can feel the new breeze already," said Isabelle.

Palutena laughed. "I'm the only _real_ Goddess of Light around here, and I commend this to be the most beautiful sunset in the history of forever!"

The rest joined in, as they watched the sunset and all the Spirits enjoying their newfound freedom.

Luigi was the last Fighter to leave; he just had to see Nino again. In the starlight, she approached him. She then gave Luigi a necklace made out of fallen flower petals she had found while they were in the meadow, then a brief cuddle. They both had only four words they wanted to say to each other before she left to join the other Spirits: "Thank you, and farewell."

* * *

The Fighters returned home to find a group of several mysterious people and an anthropomorphic cat, outside planning a party for them.

The cat said to them, "This will be the biggest party of all!"

"So, this is Smash? Hm. Well, this is Joker; the mission is "go."

He then inserted a card into the jukebox. The screen displayed a name none of them except Cloud had ever seen before: "Life Will Change-instrumental." Kirby ran straight to karaoke.

Mario shook Joker's hand. "Ha! Ha! You know, I bet the jukebox is right; life will change, for the better obviously. Anyway, welcome to Smash: World of Valor! Hey, I kinda like a' the sound of that!"


End file.
